Rom: Spaceknight fans remake comic to fund creator's care

A collective of fans and artists have developed an online jam
comic recreating the early appearances of cult character Rom:
Spaceknight, in aid of writer Bill Mantlo. The project aims to help
cover Mantlo's long-term healthcare costs after he was left with
irreparable brain damage following a hit-and-run incident in 1992.
The driver was never found, and Mantlo has required full-time care
since.

Rom
Remix sees each page of the original first issue
recreated by a host of different artists, using Mantlo's original
script and dialogue. The project was started by Rob Harrington of
Ginger Rabbit
Studio, a small press publisher, with each page linking to the
Bill Mantlo support fund set up by fellow comic author Greg Pak.
Aside from being a great cause, Rom Remix is also a
fantastic artistic showcase, each contributor bringing a unique
style to the sci-fi story.

Rom isn't a character remembered by many. Originally a robot toy
released by board game company Parker Brothers in 1979, the
character is best known for a 75-issue comic series published by
Marvel. The emissary of an advanced society on the planet Galador,
Rom had sacrificed his mortal body to become a super-powered
cyborg, in order to hunt down the shape-shifting Dire Wraith
aliens. At a time when licensed comics weren't a done thing, Mantlo
incorporated the character into the fabric of the Marvel Universe,
vastly expanding the mythology surrounding the character and
pairing him with the likes of the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, and
Nova. While Rom himself remains the property of Parker Brothers,
everything surrounding the character -- his background, origins,
powers, society, other Spaceknights -- was added by Mantlo, vastly
expanding Marvel's cosmic tapestry. Mantlo also created Rocket
Raccoon, soon to be appearing in the Guardians of the
Galaxy movie and Marvel's first original prose novel.

Sadly, Mantlo's tale isn't uncommon for comic book creators,
with the largely freelance nature of the industry leaving many of
those based in America unable to afford healthcare. As a result,
the charity Hero
Initiative was set up to help creators in need. With this
and the support of projects like Rom Remix, hopefully the future
for people like Bill Mantlo will be a little brighter.